[English] MUSSOLINI'S BLOW TO BOY SCOUTS. DEATH KNELL TO MOVEMENT IN ITALY.

MUSSOLINI'S BLOW TO BOY SCOUTS.

DEATH KNELL TO MOVEMENT IN ITALY.

Rome, Mar. 28.

The deathblow to the Boy Scout movement in Italy is foreshadowed by the decision taken by the Cabinet to-day. Signor Mussolini, in a report to his Ministers, announced that there is no need in Italy for other formations for boys and youths beyond those of the Fascist "Balilla" and "Avanguardisti."

Referring to the importance of last Sunday's ceremony, when a levy of eighty thousand youths entered the ranks, Signor Mussolini said it was not only a ceremony but a highly important movement in that system of education and unification which is one of the first charges of the State.

Continuing, he stated: "Given the fulness of the Balilla and avanguardisti movement, and given its State character, other movements lose their 'raisons d'etre' more and more every day, and therefore there arises the necessity to reform the laws in intransigent style of Fascism."

The Pope's Speech.

The only other movement that approaches in any way the Fascist boys' organisations is that of the Italian Boy Scouts. Now in Italy the Scout movement has been entirely associated with the welfare activities of the Roman Catholic Church, and their continuance to this date has been one of the many gestures of friendliness made to the Church by the Fascist State.

References in a recent speech by the Pope to the question of the education of Italian youth has to a certain extent reopened asperities on the question of relations between Church and State, and this decision of Signor Mussolini to pass a measure which obviously must within its scope dissolve the Catholic Boy Scout organisation may therefore be read as the knell of the Boy Scout movement and as a retort to the Vatican.

Source:

1. Page 13, "Hongkong Telegraph", Saturday, 28th April, 17th Year of the Republic of China

   • 9th Day, 3rd Lunar Month, Wu-chen Year

   • Saturday, 28th April, 1928 Common Era